Cairo, Jan 14 (EFE).- Indirect negotiations in Qatar between Israel and Hamas have reached a final truce agreement, with only technical details remaining to ensure its implementation, according to a Hamas source.
The source, requesting anonymity, told EFE that a formal announcement from Doha could come “in the coming hours or on Wednesday,” delivered by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, who have acted as mediators. This would follow final approval from high-ranking officials on both sides.
“All the points currently being discussed are technical and on-site measures to ensure the agreement holds, without risking a breakdown. The final formula has been agreed upon, and no further responses from either party are needed,” the source said.
Among the outstanding technical issues is the buffer zone along Gaza’s northern and eastern borders, which Israel seeks to expand.
“Hamas wants the buffer zone to revert to its pre-October 7, 2023, size, between 300 and 500 meters from the border, while Israel is demanding a much larger depth of 2,000 meters. This would leave 60 kilometers of the Gaza Strip under Israeli control,” the source said.
Despite these differences, the source highlighted progress made in overnight discussions involving Israeli intelligence officials, US envoy Steve Witkoff, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman.
According to Hamas sources, the group provided a “no comment” response to mediators on Monday night regarding the draft ceasefire agreement for Gaza.
Qatar is expected to host a decisive round of talks on Tuesday to finalize the proposed pact, which, according to leaks, will unfold in three phases and involve the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
So far, the only truce achieved was a one-week agreement in November 2023, during which 105 hostages were exchanged for 240 Palestinian prisoners. EFE
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